Breaking the Rules
by MaryMagdalene912
Summary: Darien falls in love with Serena, against the wishes of his younger sister Raye. WARNING: Incest. Do not read if it bothers you.
1. Chapter 1

**Breaking the Rules**

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

Oh, btw, this story is sort of set in Australia (coz that's where I live!), and if Serena says or does something out of character, that's probably why. The main difference most of you guys will probably pick up is that it's 'mum' here, not 'mom'. If there's other stuff you don't understand, ask me, and I'll tell you.

**Chapter 1**

I feel myself being shaken awake by someone who was persisting, despite my efforts to return to the world of dreams. I open my eyes, and slowly the small but cutely furnished pink coloured apartment comes into focus.

"Serena, wake up! We're gonna be late!" Mina Aino, my best friend is standing over me, shaking me so I wake up.

"Huh?" I croak, rather unattractively, still groggy from sleep, "for what?"

"For Raye's brother's party, silly! Remember, Raye's older brother is coming from England for the first time since he moved away five years ago to study?" Mina quickly re-applies her lip gloss as she speaks, a delicate pink shade that goes well with her complexion. Then on go a new coat of mascara and a new layer of eye shadow. I watch lazily, being too idle to get up.

"Do I have to come? I'm so tired, just lemme catch a few z's and I'll crash the party a bit later." I yawn.

"No, you have to come now! You know Raye is she gets pissed off at the smallest things, like coming late to a party." Mina rolls her eyes heavenward to show she agrees with me, but has no choice anyway. "Come on, hurry!"

"But I've got nothing to wear!" I wail, sounding just like a baby. Damn, I can't help it if I'm a spoiled brat!

"Oh, Serena, just grab something and we'll go. Look, I'll get you something to wear myself!" Mina disappears into her room, and comes out with a couple of bobby pins in her mouth while doing her hair busily, and also carrying a black mini skirt and a dark blue halter top. "There, that matches your eyes. Now hurry up and change!"

"Ok, ok, gimme five minutes already!" I grumble, and grab the things that Mina chucks to me.

"You've got yourself two, girl. No more. I'll be waiting in the car!" Mina jingles her keys as she opens the door and goes to get the car, a silver Jag.

I curse Raye mentally as I put on the party gear, for making me wake up, for having a brother, for having a party, for inviting me, and everything else. I sigh. It is gonna be a loooong night.

* * *

"Are you having fun Serena?" Mina smiles at me as she dances enthusiastically to a bouncy remix, holding a glass of lemonade in her hand. She looks like something out of a magazine, perfect and surrounded by droolsome guys. But then, so do I. 

I grin and nod back to her. I'm having fun alright! No sign of Raye yet, that must be a good thing! The party is so crowded with people jumping around it's as if the room itself was pulsating. I wave cheekily to the guys dancing around her as I excuse myself to get some more Diet Coke. I never drink anything but Diet Coke, because I reckon if anything's worth drinking, it's Diet Coke, with no sugar or carbs!

I smile to myself. These guys are so cute! There's TJ, the cute brown haired surfer, and there's Dan, the blond guy with the killer body, and there's also Mike, the sexy black haired one. But they're so thick as well! They must have, like, 2 brain cells between all of them put together, and that's a scary thought! I never knew guys like this existed until I became a party-girl with Mina, recently. I laugh out loud, thinking of the days when I was uncorrupted, until Mina came along, that is…

I pick up my refilled glass to head back to the dance floor. I mustn't keep them waiting, they might find another hot chick to flatter! Suddenly, a guy catches my attention. He's just arriving at the party and he is an absolute babe! With straight black hair falling into his smoky blue eyes, and those gorgeous muscly arms visible through his short-sleeved top, he's a hunk to die for! I finally catch his eye, and smile and give a wave. He smiles back, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

I start to walk towards him, when I trip, spill my drink and fall flat on my face. Luckily, not many people notice my ultimate clumsiness and I quickly jump up and brush myself off, making out to the cute stranger that I had only dropped something on the floor and had bent down to pick it up. It wasn't like he could have seen me fall from that far away! But I see his entertained smile and finally realise I've spilt coke all over my skirt. Ah well, at least he's still interested in a klutz like me!

I flash him a winning smile as I approach him at last, and he smiles back with pearly white teeth. Damn, he could do a Colgate ad! "Hi! I'm Darien. Nice to meet you." He shouts to be heard over the music.

"I'm Serena. Nice to meet you, too." I yell back, and then stop as my favourite song comes on. "Wanna dance? It's my favourite song!"

"Sure!" Darien takes my hand and leads me out to the dance floor. "I just saw you spill the coke on your dress. Don't you want to change or something?"

I blush, and laugh a little nervously. "No, no, that's alright. The skirt's black, and it was only a little bit anyway. Besides, if I go and change, my friend will ask what I've done with her skirt, so it's better to just put it back in her wardrobe and pretend it wasn't me."

Darien laughs at that. I smile at him, enjoying his laugh. It's somewhat deep and rumbling. It makes me feel that this guy is a very genuine person, because he laughs right from his heart. Ahhhh, I'm becoming such a sentimental person these days!

"So, where do you live Darien?" I ask as the song draws to a close. I lean against his chest. His heart thuds in my ear, as we swayed softly to the music.

"Actually, I live right-"

"What are you doing with him?!" I look up to see Raye hyperventilating next to me, almost frothing at the mouth.

"Calm down, Raye, I'm just dancing!" I say smugly. Raye is so jealous! And I am going to make the most of it. "What, does he look like your ex or something? Oh wait, that's Mina and Lita's trick!" Mina, who's passing by, hears the comment and gives me the finger. I just laugh.

"You idiot, that's my brother!" Raye yells, spraying my face with spit.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry, I didn't realise!" I back away from Darien, flushing with embarrassment as I remember my former comment. Yuck, incest!

"Raye! She was only dancing with me, not molesting me!" Darien protests, looking at me helplessly. But Raye grabs his arm, and begins to drag him to a group of people.

"Come on, it's time for me to introduce to everyone." Raye throws me one last dirty look and stalks off with her nose in the air.

Jeez, it's only her brother, not like it's her boyfriend or even her ex! Why is she so damn protective? I go to find Mina. I need to go home now, and have a good bitching session about that idiot Raye, and Mina's the perfect company for this!

**A/N:** So guys, did you like that chapter? What did you think of it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Breaking the Rules**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**A/N: **Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed; I love you all so much! You motivate me to continue writing this fic! And thank you **KaTiE-LeE** for submitting the first review. You rock! Thumbs up to you, too! (:

Just to clear up a few things: "**Hmm….":** If you're too chicken to leave your own name, don't insult my fic, ok? (And even if you're brave, don't insult it anyway!) Maybe you weren't insulting it, but your tone of voice seemed a bit off… But just for your information, Serena is meant to be somewhat mentally challenged. That's how she's portrayed in the series. So if you want Serena to be some brainiac chick, write your own fic! And **icyblossom3**, Raye and Serena ARE friends, but the whole point is that Raye is overprotective of her brother. It'll become clearer as you read on. And as for the diet coke, **anonymous**, I can't agree with you more! Maybe it's because of the brain-damaging effects of Diet Coke that Serena's so dumb, hmm? (I actually like Vanilla Coke myself, but Serena seems like the Diet Coke type, don't you think?) Btw, **sugarbob**, I haven't noticed Raye having a major role in many Darien/Serena fics, and I've never read one where she was Darien's ex. You'll have to link me sometime!

**Chapter 2**

We reach the apartment and the phone rings. I rush in to pick it up, thinking it might be TJ or Dan or one of the cute guys I met at the party. Mina smiles knowingly at me.

"Hello?"

"It's me, honey." I hear my mother's voice. I sigh. Not again! Does she have to ring every damn week? She had been so protective of me when I was living with her, now that I had moved out, she was worried even more about me and Mina. "How are you and Mina?"

"Yeah, we're good Mum! How are you and dad, and that little brat?"

"Serena! Don't call your brother a brat!" my mother scolds. "How are you guys managing without any parents around? Is the house a pig sty yet?"

In spite of myself, I laugh. "No, Mum, it's not! We're actually taking good care of it, you know. You'd be surprised at how well organised everything." I didn't feel the need to add that Mina did most of the work anyway.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it! How are things? Anything interesting happening lately?"

"No, not really. We just went to Raye's party tonight, for her older brother coming back from England-" I cringe slightly at the memory of Darien "-and as a matter of fact we're really tired now." I fake a yawn. "We were just about to go to bed."

"Oh, ok, sorry honey." My mum says, and I feel a little guilty for cutting her off. Oh well, I can always talk to mum later when I don't have something important to discuss with Mina. "I'll talk to you later. Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you, too, Mum." I hang up.

"Well?" says Mina.

"It was Mum, wanting to know how we were getting on. Gee, it had been a whole ten minutes since the last time she had called!" I roll my eyes.

"I know that, silly, I heard you say mum and stuff. I meant, why the rush to leave the party? I was getting on quite well with some of the cute guys there, you know!" Mina grumbles.

"Oh, Mina! Don't you know I wouldn't have dragged you out without a very good reason? I was getting on quite well with TJ and Dan, too!" I say wistfully. "But, you know what happened? Well, I was dancing with this really cute stranger, right?"

"Yeah, I saw you, he was really something!" Mina grins.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but guess what! He turns out to be Raye's brother! It was the shock of the century! I mean, they don't even look alike. And Raye was like telling me off for dancing with her brother, I mean, come on! He's her brother not her boyfriend." I finish, pouting glumly.

"Oh Serena, she probably just feels weird that you're hanging out with her brother. I mean, wouldn't it be weird if I hung out with Sammy?" Mina laughs.

I shudder. "Don't even think about it! He's such a little pest!"

"See what I mean?"

"Not really."

"Well, anyway. I can't believe that he's Raye's brother. What's his name?" Mina asks thoughtfully.

"Darien. I always thought it was Darren or Darryl or something. I can't believe it either! Why does Raye have to come and ruin everything?" I wail.

Mina comes over and gives me a hug. "Cheer up; didn't you say you wanted to get to know DJ or whatever his name was?"

"It's TJ," I smile. Mina always knew how to make me feel better.

"Yeah, ok. Now, why don't you have a shower and go to bed? You'll feel better tomorrow morning!" Mina is seriously taking over the role of Mum, I think disbelievingly as I head to the bathroom. Oh well, nothing like a hot shower to make me relaxed!

* * *

I wake up the next morning, feeling refreshed, just as Mina had promised. I decide to take a shower and maybe do a little bit of shopping. It was such a fine looking Saturday that I felt it was almost necessary to be outside in the beautiful spring sunshine. 

After finishing my shower, and getting dressed in bright happy clothes to match my mood, I go downstairs. Mina's already making pancakes and coffee.

"Would you like some pancakes, Serena?" Mina asks.

"Yes, please!" Mina sets down a plate stacked with pancakes.

I grab about four immediately and set them down on my plate, smothering them with maple syrup. I take a big bite and chew happily.

"Uh, Serena," I look up. Mina is looking at me concernedly. "If you eat like that, you're going to get a stomach ache, sweetie. Cut down on the sugar already!"

I just laugh. "I'm happy today! Let me eat sugary stuff in peace, Mina!" I say through a mouthful of yummy pancakes.

"Hmmm, I suppose you were happy yesterday, too? It was you that finished the packet of Oreos, wasn't it?" Mina asks darkly.

"Me? No way!" I say, pretending to look innocent. But Mina doesn't fall for that one any more.

"I'm so sure! Anyway, what are your plans for today?"

"I thought I might do a little shopping, seeing as it's so beautiful outside. You know what; I might even walk to the shops!"

Mina pretends to gasp in shock. "Serena? Doing anything physical? I must be dreaming!"

I pretend to chuck the fork at her. "Yeah, yeah, smarty pants. I thought I might enjoy the sunshine for once! What are you doing today?"

"I'm going down to the beach, and then out to lunch." Mina looks smug.

"Who is it, then? Come on, tell us!" I say.

"It's Aaron, I met him yesterday."

"Thought so! So is he hot or not?"

"Well, he's alright looking, but it's his personality I've fallen in love with. He has the most charming character!" Mina says dreamily. I smile at her.

"Well, at least you're not superficial!" I set my plate in the sink and grab my bag. "See you later, honey!" I say as I close the door. Mina's still sitting there, staring off into space.

The fresh air greets me like a puppy, jumping around my face, swirling around my legs and swishing the knee length skirt. I fell so happy, I wish I could fly! Maybe I can!

I look around to see if anyone's on the street. There seems to be nobody, as this street's a quiet one, and it's Sunday today, anyway. I raise my arms and run, pretending to fly. It was a game I used to play with Dad, but he used to actually lift me up and make roaring noises like and aeroplane. I roar out loud and laugh, thinking I probably look like a lunatic if anyone can see me. Thank God no one's here.

"Serena?"

Uh oh.

I turn around slowly. It's Darien. Immediately my face heats up at 20 degrees per second, and soon I'm looking like a bottle of tomato sauce. I pretend not to see him, and walk on, quickly. But Darien has longer legs than I do, and soon catches up without effort.

"You like playing aeroplanes, too?" Darien says, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Oh, shut up!" I laugh in embarrassment. "Anyway, I'm not supposed to see you, Raye made that pretty clear yesterday."

"Serena." He puts a hand on my shoulder and stops me. I turn around to face him, puzzled. "I want to see you, and I don't think you should mind what Raye said yesterday. After all, it's my life, not hers. She can be a little overprotective at times." I look at him in silence, mulling over what he said. I notice again how he has the most beautiful eyes.

"I like your eyes." I say, because I don't know what else to say.

He laughs, and suddenly before I know what's happening, he bends down to kiss me. I feel his warm dry lips on mine, and press mine against his, returning the kiss. He pulls away gently. I know what he's thinking; he should keep the first kiss chaste, because otherwise I might think he's a sleazy bastard. But I have no intention of doing that. I grab his neck and pull his face down to mine for a deeper kiss. My tongue runs over his lips, making him open his mouth. Our tongues tangle as we explore each other's mouths. I press my mouth harder against his one last time and pull away fast, leaving us both breathless.

"Wow." Darien says looking at me with a new kind of respect mixed with amazement. I smile seductively in return.

"That's how we kiss around here." I say, as I walk away, in what I hope to be a luring way. Sure enough, he follows me.

"Care to have brunch with me?"

"Sorry, I'm full, I've already had breakfast." I'm playing hard to get, so he won't think I'm such an easy target after that kiss. But he doesn't give up. I like him for that.

"No worries, what about coffee then?"

I pretend to think about it. "I don't see why not."

"Great!" Darien smiles. "Come on, I know this cool place."

So ten minutes later, we're sitting with steaming mugs of coffee in front of us. "So tell me, how was it studying away from your family? You went five years ago, right?" I ask.

"Yeah, I did. It was kinda lonely at first, but then I got used to it coz it was so busy and I hardly had time to worry, being in Med School and all that. Hey, I remember you from five years ago! You were that little cutie that was scared of the dark at Raye's sleepover and wouldn't sleep till we turned the night light on!" Darien laughed.

"Shut up, you! I was better than you! Didn't you use to wet the bed until you were like ten? Raye told us all about it!" I grinned smugly. That shut him up about embarrassing childhood experiences.

"So, how are things with you?" Darien asks, crunching on a chocolate biscuit. _Yay! He shares the same food thoughts as me!_

"Well, uni is so much harder than high school, though everyone says it'll be better as it goes on, coz it's only my first year now. I've moved out like I've always wanted to, and it's heaps of fun partying all the time with no parents around!"

"I can imagine," Darien says, smiling. "We only had Gramps around when I was at Uni, and he sleeps like a log, and goes to bed early. So it was party time from 8pm to dawn the next day! He didn't even wonder why Raye and I were so sleepy during the day."

I grin as I imagine Darien climbing out of the window in his pyjamas and falling into a bush of thistles right outside their window.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just imagining you sneaking out of the window." I say, standing up, "Do you want to go for a walk? I've always thought this kind of weather was beautiful. Though, I've always thought rainy, stormy days are fabulous, too. I guess I just love nature!"

"Yeah, so do I, though I'm not so crazy about hail stones cracking the windshield of my car."

I giggle. Darien's so subtly funny, I'll have to get used to him. We walk slowly through the streets, our shoulders touching comfortably. It feels like we've known each other for a long time. We enter the shopping mall, browsing and saying a few lazy sentences each. We're just enjoying each other's auras, or so it seems.

I'm the first one to spot her, walking down to us. She's with Ami, one of our mutual friends, and they seem to be talking and laughing.

"Darien-" I call, but too late. Raye's seen us.


	3. Chapter 3

**Breaking the Rules**

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**A/N:** Thanks to all who reviewed, especially the people who said they liked the fact that I kept Darien and Serena in character! Thank you all for being so supportive! (: (: And ON with the story…

**Chapter 3**

Raye storms up to us. "Darien, I thought I told you to not be so paedophilic! She's my age for God's sake! And she's my friend! So stop hanging out with her."

"Listen Raye," says Darien furiously, "I can hang out with whoever I want to, so you just mind your own business. And just for the record, we're only five years apart, so stop being so freaking childish!" He grabs my arm heatedly and drags me out of the mall. I look back. Raye looks exactly like a fire breathing dragon, and Ami looks scandalised.

Darien's breathing harshly and he's gripping my arm so tightly, it almost cuts off the circulation. "Darien?" I say meekly.

"What?" he snaps.

"Do you think you could let go of my arm now?"

"Oh, yeah sorry!" Darien looks sheepish as he lets go. "It's just that she's so out of her depth, and she never knows when to stop interfering!"

"No, it's quite alright." I say, a little shaken myself. "You know what, I think it'll be better if we stop seeing each other. Maybe it's all for the best."

"No!" yells Darien, and people turn to look at us. He lowers his voice. "No! Serena, you can't just stop it because she doesn't like it! Look, I really want to see you again, ok? How about a movie next Friday?"

"Um..." I hesitate, not wanting to be the victim of Raye's wrath again.

"Serena, we'll drive far away, and find a theatre in the middle of nowhere, ok? Raye won't find us, I promise!" Darien said, almost reading my mind.

"Well…"

"Come on!" It was like he was begging. I give in. I have to!

"Alright!" Immediately a smile lights up his face. He reminds me of Rambo, the little terrier we used to have. I could almost see Darien's tail wagging! "I'll meet you just outside my house, then? You do know where that is? It's the one two blocks down from Raye's old house. Number 23."

"Yeah, sure, no worries. Oh, crap, I have to go, Gramps will be wondering if I got lost or something! I'll see you Friday then?" and with a quick hug, Darien's off, walking quickly back home. I look after him with a trace of a smile on my lips. I reckon this date won't be so bad after all… if Raye stops interfering, that is!

* * *

Oh, no, the much awaited day has come, and the biggest crisis right now is that I can't find something to wear! I try on a black mini and a blue halter. No, it's too much of a night club thing to wear. I pick up a simple green dress that hangs down to the middle of my thighs. No, I look like a camouflaged soldier or something. A pink cardigan and white jeans? No, I look like a flamingo!

"Serena, hurry up! You're going to keep your lover-boy waiting!" Mina giggles from the kitchen.

I growl in return, and harass my poor wardrobe yet again. "Can't you bloody give me something nice to wear?" I yell at it, and kick its door. Suddenly, as if by magic, a top falls out onto to floor. I quickly pick it up. It must have been wedged between the top of the wardrobe door and the wall of the wardrobe. Wherever it was, it is beautiful! It is an off-the-shoulder top in different shades of blues and greens, with tight sleeves that suddenly spread out at the elbows. Perfect to wear with my white jeans! Finally, I am dressed. Now, for the make up. I quickly brush on a hint of blue eye shadow and mascara, and coat my lips lightly in a light pink gloss. Oh, joy, I'm finally ready to go.

"How do I look?" I give Mina a demo.

"You look great! Now, go kick some butt, sister!" Mina laughs, and gives me a push towards the door.

"See ya later! And don't wait up for me!" I wink and close the door. With perfect timing, Darien pulls up in his black Mercedes convertible just as I let go of the door knob. I walk down and open the door.

"Hey Serena! Wow, you look great!" Darien gives me the once-over before grinning. I smile back and get in the car.

"Let's roll!" I say, and we rip through the nearly deserted streets with the wind whipping through the car. I feel the urge to scream and laugh, so I do, until Darien tells me to sit back down unless I want to get caught by the police. We drive for a long time and then we get to a cinema out of town, just as Darien promised earlier.

"You're sure you know how to get back?" I ask nervously. We are a long way from my area, and even I've never been here before. This is an area with a lot of gangster wannabes that can be dangerous if you don't know how to get around them.

"Relax, I've got the street directory!" Darien grins, and leads me out of the car. "Come on, let's go."

We buy the tickets from a sleazebag out front who tries to crack onto me.

"Back off pal, she's mine." Growls Darien. I smile at him for that.

We find seats at the back of the half full cinema as the movie starts. It's a good movie, something about pirates and stuff, but Darien and I are too busy making out like teenagers in the back. I almost feel ashamed when I realise Darien's older than me and he's not complaining!

Darien pulls away from a particularly heated kiss. "Sorry, Serena, you're too young for this, I shouldn't be doing this."

"Well, if that's the way you feel…" I trail off, fold my arms and concentrate on the movie huffily. He sounds too much like Raye for my liking, and this annoys me because I actually thought he didn't care about the age difference, but oh well…

"I didn't mean it like that!" Darien protests, turning me to look into his eyes. "Hey, I'm sorry. Come here." We don't know how it happens, but we're in each others arms again, with the fierce passion we had on the day at the shopping mall.

Suddenly, we hear jeering and catcalls. It's a group of wretched school boys laughing at us. Darien gets up angrily, but I pull him down again. Throwing them a dirty look, I lace my fingers through Darien's defiantly and look straight ahead at the screen. It's funny, but I'm so angry, I can barely see the picture.

"Ooooh, look, the little love birds are holding hands." It's only a little comment, but Darien gets so peed off that he goes and punches one of the idiots in the nose. He deserves it! We quickly run out to the car before the manager comes to chuck us out.

As soon as we're in the car, I ask Darien something I've been itching to ask him since we were in the cinema. "Darien, do you really think I'm too young?" It comes out sounding more pathetic than I intended. I do indeed sound like a little girl. I hang my head in shame.

Darien lifts up my chin and looks long and hard into my eyes. "No." he says. It's only one word, but it's powerful enough. He presses his lips comfortingly against mine, and I return the kiss. Somehow we tangle together awkwardly, trying not to jam the gear. I press my body up against his and I can feel him against my thigh. His hand is caressing my back, then it comes to the front, his fingers now brushing over my nipple. I moan out loud, and he presses harder against my thigh. But he breaks away for a moment. "Are you sure you want this?" he asks, his midnight blue eyes serious, yet lustful. I barely manage to gasp out a yes. That's all it takes.

He pulls my top off over my head, unhooks my bra, and trails hot kisses down my neck, leading to my breast. I arch against him as he takes a nipple into his mouth, his tongue softly moving over it. His teeth graze over my nipple for one brief moment, and I shiver involuntarily against his body. Darien begins to take my jeans off, more urgent, now that he's fully aroused, but stops.

"Wait, I'm not sure you want this, Serena." He looks at me carefully. "I don't think I want it either. I'm not ready for this."

I blink. "What?" Darien begins to get up off me. The cold night air stings my exposed body and I quickly grab my clothes off the seat and wriggle into them, mortified, and confused at his behaviour. Does he mean he's not ready for this, or I'm not ready for this? He probably thinks I'm too young for him. Damn that Raye! But I still like him very much for the way he didn't _say_ that I was too young, because he knew I wouldn't like it.

We drive back home in silence. On my part, it is a confused pondering sort of silence. Oh his, it's probably a guilty conscience. He double parks the car to quickly walk me to the front door. I give him a hug, and he, surprised, smiles.

"What was that for?" he asks.

"Oh you know, just for being nice." I say vaguely.

"I'm sorry about… you know. Just maybe another time. We haven't known each other long enough, you know?" Oh, THAT'S what it is! I almost slap my forehead in relief. So he doesn't think I'm too young after all! Hurray! I feel like doing a victory dance, but I content myself with giving him a good night kiss.

"Thanks for the lovely night, Darien."

"It was my pleasure. But remember, not a word to Raye, alright?" I nod to him, and he jogs back to his car. He beeps the horn at me before pulling out, and I wave to him until he's out of sight.

I open the door, and Mina's just in the hall, looking quite anxious.

"Mina, what's wrong?" I ask.


	4. Chapter 4

**Breaking the Rules**

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**A/N:** Thanks again to all my lovely reviewers! mwah I hope this chapter answers your question, **Katie**. There's actually nothing wrong with Mina, but read on to find out what happens! And I'm glad you liked the lemon, **Sailor Josseme**, there might not be another one for a while!

**Chapter 4**

"Serena, Raye's been ringing an awful lot of times, and has been asking you to call her back." Says Mina, looking worried. "She was getting suspicious that you were out with her brother, and I kept on telling her you were in the bathroom. But then she asked what you were doing for so long in the bathroom that you couldn't call her back, and I had to say you had the runs."

In spite of myself, I laugh. Trust Mina to come up with something like that. Mina laughs too.

"Shut up, I couldn't think of anything better to say!" she smiles. "But what do we do now?"

"Nothing. I'll just ring her up and pretend I was sick, and she can't do anything else about it, short of actually coming here to check what I'm doing!" I grin triumphantly and go to pick up the phone.

Just then the phone rings. "Hello?" I answer it.

"Serena?" It's Raye, sounding sticky beaky as usual.

"Ooooh, Raye, owwww!" I moan and groan. "I don't feel so well."

"Then what are you doing hanging around the phone?"

"I was actually going to ring the doctor," I say in my best un-conversational voice, adding on the "so will you get the hell off the phone?" bit silently. But Raye doesn't get the hint.

"So what have you been doing today?" Raye asks, faking casualness. You idiot, Mina's already told me all about your schemes, I think.

"Well, actually I went out," I say, taking my time, "with…" I trail off, knowing I'm making her practically die of suspicion.

"With?" she presses on, urgently.

"With… Mina." I say. I can see her in my mind, she's probably dying of suspicion, and at the same time relieved that it wasn't her brother. "We had some food from Mina's favourite Italian restaurant, and I got sick. I think it's from the food." I wait, seeing if she bought the story.

"Oh, ok. Well, get well then, I'll see you later." Raye hangs up. She must have bought it; maybe she thought it was going to catch over the phone or something!

"Well, that's that!" I say to Mina, flopping on the couch.

"How was lover-boy, hmm?" asks Mina, grinning.

"Well, you know what we say about all those slutty girls, nearly getting screwed on the first date? Well, for once I was one of them!" I say, enjoying Mina's shocked reaction.

"No way!"

"Yeah, we were just about to do it, and totally unexpectedly, HE stops. Can you believe it? The male is actually considerate for once!" I say, laughing.

"Why?" Mina asks curiously.

"I thought he reckoned I was too young, you know, but he said he wasn't ready for it."

"That means he thinks you'll think he's a sleazebag if he comes onto you on the first date." Says Mina knowingly.

"Wow, how did you figure that out so quickly?" I say in amazement. "I was sulking around thinking he did think I was too young, or that he didn't like me after all. Gee, what I wouldn't do to have you around on my dates as well!"

Mina laughs. "Thanks, Serena, I'll be your chaperone next time!"

"Thanks, but no thanks! I was only joking. How was your date with Aaron?"

"It was awesome! It was the perfect weather for the beach today, so we messed about in the waves and built sandcastles and had a water fight. It was so nice!" Mina sighs. "Who knew building sandcastles could be so fun?"

"Well, Mina, it's cause you're a child at heart." I smirk.

She giggles and hits me with a cushion. "I think it's time for you to go to bed."

"Ok, mum!" I grin at her and walk off.

The shrill ringing of the phone startles me, and I almost drop it as I pick it up. "H-hello?" I stammer, not having recovered from my shock.

"SERENA!" Raye's scream is enough to deafen me. I hold the phone away from my ear as she shouts abuse into it. "You filthy liar! I can't believe you and my brother went behind my back! And Mina, too, she lied to me that cunning fraud!"

"How'd she find out?" Mina whispers. Raye's so loud that Mina can hear exactly every single word from six feet away. Still holding the phone away from me, I shrug helplessly. How COULD she have found out? I hear Darien shouting in the background and then it hits me. She must have been awake when he got home, and realised that he got home around the same time I 'came out of the bathroom'. She must have put two and two together…

"When I get a hold of you, I'm going to- ARRGHH!" Raye's threat is abruptly cut off, and Darien replaces her on the phone.

"Serena, I'm sorry my little sister's being so CHILDISH. She can be unbelievable NOSY at times." Darien tries to control the anger in his voice as he speaks to me. "But don't worry about her. I'll see you tomorrow, same time." With that he hangs up the phone.

I'm happy at the thought of seeing Darien again tomorrow, but there's an unmistakeable queasy feeling in my stomach as I think of Raye. She can seem like a sweet little girl who helps out Gramps with the temple and all that, but she can become a complete monster when she doesn't get her way. And I didn't want to get in the firing line of her rage. Maybe I should pretend I'm sick after all to avoid getting into trouble. I reach for my mobile.

"Serena, what are you doing?" Mina asks. "You're not going to cancel on him, are you?" It's crazy how she reads my mind sometimes.

"Well…"

"You can't! Not after he went to all that trouble to stand up against Raye to be with you. It would be heartless." Mina looks at me seriously and I can see she has a point.

"But Mina, things could get ugly with Raye. I don't want to get involved in something that's gonna be so complicated. You know me, I like having a hot guy around for three months at the most, and then I move on. I just don't if it's gonna be worth it, going through all of this, just to get over Darien like I do with everyone else."

"How do you know he's like the others? I, for one, think he's quite a catch. He's drop-dead gorgeous, but he can also have an intellectual conversation with you, unlike those other dropkicks. God rarely gives with both hands. _And_ he seems like a decent guy, who just took a load of crap from Raye for you. Don't you want to pay him back at least?" Mina puts her hands on her hips and glares at me, daring me to disagree.

"Oh Mina, I honestly don't know… I'll tell you what, I'll sleep on it, and if I'm still against it, I'll give him a call tomorrow. Good night!" I give her a peck on the cheek as I go to bed. She's smiling now, and that's always a good sign.

* * *

The next morning, I awake feeling ominous. At first, I don't know why, but as I climb out of bed and don my dressing gown, I remember. With the memories of being caught last night by Raye, comes an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I groan inwardly as I remember that Darien wants to go out with me that day. Shivering involuntarily as I think of what will happen, should Raye find out, I pad softly to the kitchen and put the kettle on. The flashing light on my mobile phone catches my eye, and I step over to it to see who sent me a text.

_hey Serena sry abt last nite, my sis can b a bitch. n e way, wanna go 2 Torrini's tonite? i'll pick u up at around 7, k? x Darien_

Well, I guess he was serious about going on a date again tonight, right under Raye's nose. I shrug and think to myself, hey, if he wants to get into that much trouble for me, he must really like me. Mina's right, I should give it a go. And I'd feel too guilty if I bailed on. I can't believe I've changed my mind so quickly!

The rest of the day goes by in a blur, because all I can think about is the approaching night. I've never been to Torrini's before, because it always seemed too posh and expensive for a couple of uni students (me and Mina) to go to. Admittedly, we'd walk past it often when we went shopping, and I'd always see people inside, elegantly dressed and holding fluted glasses of champagne as they dined. It always seemed like a scene from a movie. And I was going to be part of that scene in a few short minutes!

* * *

I can't help feeling excited as I raid my wardrobe for a dress. Finding a couple of possible choices, I chuck them on my bed and survey them critically. There's the classic black dress, but it's a bit boring. Next to it, I've laid out a midnight blue dress, which I really like, but I think it might be too slutty for such an occasion, with its plunging neckline which goes almost up to my belly button. That leaves the pale yellowy-golden dress, which seems too frivolous. Oh, why am so picky? I roll my eyes heavenward, and head to Mina's room: time to raid her wardrobe.

"What are you doing?" Mina's sprawled on her bed, thumbing through an issue of Cleo.

"Oh crap! Didn't notice you there." I open her wardrobe. "Looking for a suitable date outfit, of course."

"It wouldn't hurt to ask." Mina smiles and shakes her head, going back to her mag.

"Will do next time," I say, knowing full well I won't. I paw through her 'formal' section of the wardrobe, and find a dress hidden under a dry cleaning cover. It's absolutely amazing. The dress has a halter neck, which seems capable of showing just the right amount of cleavage, not to mention it is made of the most beautiful material ever – a sort of iridescent blue-green. I squeal and hold it out to Mina, too overwhelmed to speak coherently.

"Serena, I just dry cleaned that. Must you wear it?" Mina looks pained.

I do my best puppy dog eyes. "Please Mina? I promise I won't get it dirty. Promise, promise, promise. Please?"

She looks about to relent.

"I'll even get it dry cleaned if I do. And I'll buy you the latest issue of Cosmopolitan on the way back from Torrini's." I get down on my knees and beg properly. May as well do it properly.

"Oh, all right!" She gives in. I whoop and give her a kiss on the cheek as I run back to my room. I have exactly sixteen minutes to get ready.

The doorbell rings. Mina gets it as I apply a coat of sheer pink lip gloss, and walk out to greet Darien. He's still standing on the porch, and it's dark outside so I can't see his face, but I hear his familiar voice.

"God, Serena, you look fabulous," he breathes.

Mina smiles and goes back to her room. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it, then." I smile at her as she goes, suddenly shy and nervous. I'm about to walk out with Darien, when I realise I've forgotten my purse upstairs. And I have to get it, because it's a beautiful little turquoise thing.

"Darien, why don't you come in out of the dark. I need to get my purse," I tell him.

"Um…" he hesitates a while.

"Hurry up, just come in for a sec, ok?" I turn around and walk upstairs carefully, in Mina's high heeled stilettos, which I'm not really used to. Finding my clutch where I left it, on the dressing table, I come back down again. When I reach the last step, I see Darien. And gasp in horror.

"Good GOD, Darien, what happened to your face?"

**Footnote:** Sorry about the whole cliff-hanger thing, guys, I know you hate it. But I really gotta go, so I have to write the rest later. Hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Breaking the Rules**

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**A/N:** So sorry to my readers about the long delay in updating! I had my trials (for those of you who aren't Australian: they're like a practice version of end of school exams, but they actually count for my final marks as well!) so I couldn't write during them coz I had to study. Now I'm kinda free for a little while, so I thought I may as well write! (: And sorry for all those people who were left hanging! I'll try not to do it again.

**Chapter 5**

I run to Darien (which is an achievement in itself in these damn stilettos) and touch his bruised eye with a feather-light touch, so as to not hurt him. His eye looks comically multicoloured, and swollen to at least twice its size. "She did this to you, didn't she?" I ask in a horrified whisper.

"It's nothing, Serena, don't worry. Seriously." He prises my hand gently away from his face. "Let's get out of here. I'm really looking forward to dinner."

"Why did she do this to you?" I can barely speak, I'm so angry.

"Serena..."

"Just tell me. It's because she found out about last night, isn't it?"

Darien just looks at the floor. I guess that means I'm right.

"Darien, you can't let her do this to you. Don't you see?" My voice trembles with anger and something else… I wonder if it's fright. "She's just gonna get worse. How could she do this to you? Why the HELL is she acting like your girlfriend or something?

He sighs. "Look, Serena, Raye's always been a little overprotective of me. I can't do anything about it. Do you want to go out or not?"

"Darien, that's not the point! How can you let your little sister PUSH YOU AROUND! ARGH!" I bang my fist on the door frame in frustration and yelp in pain.

"Are you ok?" Darien's hand takes mine and soothes away the pain, looking tenderly into my eyes as well as he can with one black eye. The poor thing, I can't resist him. Pretty soon, we're all over each other, making out in the doorway. Suddenly we hear a slight cough. It's Mina.

"Oh, you two!" She giggles. "Go on, shoo! Get out and have some fun!"

We laugh at her and wave as we head to Darien's car. In the car, I try to get serious, about how he shouldn't let his sister control his life. Especially his little sister, but he turns on the radio and starts singing along in funny voices. I can't help but laugh, and soon we arrive at Torrini's in a good mood.

Darien is not only the best looking guy there, but the most well-mannered gentleman, too. His black eye looks almost rakish, I decide, as I smile and slide gracefully into my chair after he's pulled it out for me. We order food (well, Darien orders for me, because I ask him to, as this is my first time in this beautiful restaurant) and wait for it to arrive. Darien takes my hand in his and rubs it slowly against his cheek, as he smiles at me over the warm glow of the candles that have been lit at our table.

"Serena, I want to tell you something." He looks deeply into my eyes, seriously, as if preparing himself mentally for the thing he is about to say. I look back into his midnight blue eyes searchingly.

"Serena, I- I think I've fallen in love with you." He lowers his eyes. He's so cute when he's shy! I admire his long eyelashes, and smile as an affectionate, warm feeling engulfs me. I know, from this moment on, I'll stop flirting with all those random guys I meet at parties. Darien is the One. I almost feel my love emanating from me, towards him, and I know I have to confess I feel the same way.

Squeezing his hand in mine, I whisper, "Darien, I too, feel the-" Suddenly, we're interrupted by a tremendous crash. We turn to see someone walking so fast towards us that they are a haze of black and red, and they've knocked a poor waiter over.

The person reaches our table, and holds out something in front of Darien's face. It's Raye. Surprise, surprise. And she's holding Darien's phone. On the screen is a record of the message he had sent me earlier, arrangements for the date at Torrini's.

Raye looks like a fire breathing dragon, wearing a red low cut dress with a slit almost up to her waist, her hair hanging around her face in fierce dark curls. "You're deliberately going behind my back, now, huh? So this is what I get for trying to protect you from this slut?" She hisses at Darien.

"What the hell do you mean, slut?" I gasp at her. I can't believe she's being so vehement.

She throws me a scornful look. "Look at you, getting drunk at some party every other night, hooking up with all the guys in our suburb. You think you deserve my brother?" She turns to Darien, and speaks to him almost tenderly. "Darien, she's not good enough for you. Nobody is. Why are you doing this? I'm sorry I punched you before, but this isn't the best way to get me back."

"Raye, this isn't about you." Darien spits out between gritted teeth. I realise he's tensed up because everyone in this stylish restaurant is staring at us. They've probably never even heard anyone raise their voice in this beautiful place, let alone have an outright argument. "It's about me and Serena. Listen to me. I love Serena, and I want to be with her. So will you quit this bullshit? I don't need your protection, alright? We both know what you want and-"

"Darien, don't." Raye has suddenly coloured a deep red, and she looks quite frightened.

"Listen Raye, what happened before… it won't ever happen again. There's no chance. It was a mistake." He looks into her eyes and speaks slowly, clearly. Do I detect a hint of regret there? Raye nods at him, her eyes slightly glistening.

"I always thought you might say that," she whispers. She caresses his cheek softly, with one hand, as I might have done, and I'm surprised. What shocks me the most though, is that she bends down and kisses him, full on the mouth, before she leaves.

"Bye, Darien." Her voice cracks, and she rushes out of the restaurant.

Darien sits there looking stunned, as the waiters start going about, serving people as usual, and slowly the soft chatter returns to the atmosphere. People have stopped looking at us.

"Now are you going to tell me what that was all about?" I ask him, slightly annoyed, mostly mystified. What had just happened here?

"Serena, I'm truly sorry, but what happened was between me and Raye, and I can't tell you. She has entrusted me with a secret, our secret, and I do not feel I can tell you just yet."

"But you just said you loved me. Why can't you tell me?"

"I DO love you. But this involves Raye as well. I can't just blurt it out like that. Maybe a time will come when I can reveal it to you, but I'm sorry Serena, I just can't tell you now." He bows his head, the tops of his cheeks burning red with what seems like shame. I decide not to press it any further, I don't want to embarrass him. He finally looks up. "So, what was it you were saying, before she came in?"

"I was going to say, I feel the same way too. I love you, also." I say, but it sounds a little hollow, even to my own ears. Raye's surprise visit has disturbed us both a great deal, and I don't feel the same way as I did five minutes ago. The warm feeling has dissipated completely.

"Oh. Good. That's great!" Darien forces a smile, it looks quite ghastly under his black eye.

"Darien, sorry to do this to you, but I don't really feel like eating anymore. Could we just leave? Maybe you could drop me home on the way?" I say, a little hesitantly.

He sighs wearily. "No problem. I've kind of lost my appetite, too. Sorry about this whole thing."

"Not your fault." Is this what we've become? Polite strangers, separated by a chasm of a secret?

We drive home in silence, and when I get upstairs, I realise Mina's gone to bed. Just my luck. I would've loved to have talked to her about what this all meant. I content myself with putting my iPod on low and listening to soft music until I finally fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Breaking the Rules**

**By ****MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer:**You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**A/N:** Sorry about the really long delay in updating, you guys. I had to sit the end of school exams, then I bludged around for a while afterwards before getting back to this beloved FanFic! Talk about lack of motivation... Anyway, here's a slightly longer chapter to make up for it! Hope it answers all your questions about Darien and Raye! I was going to drag it out for a bit longer (the secret), but I thought you guys had waited too long already!

**Warning****: Adult themes ahead. Some themes in this chapter may make readers uncomfortable.**

******Chapter ****6**

Most of the next day passes me by in a depressive haze. Mina has gone out with friends before I wake up, but she was nice enough to make me waffles. I finish all ten of the waffles and half a tub of ice cream by midday, and lounge around the couch feeling bloated and sorry for myself. I have no idea what to expect about Darien and me anymore. Will he finally break up with me like Raye had always wanted us to? Or was he going to keep going in his pig-headed way, pissing off Raye so much that she would do something that we all regretted?

I had just decided to do something useful instead of mooching about when I hear the key turn in the door. Mina was home! Finally, a change to seek the sage wisdom of my dearest friend.

"Mina, I'm so glad to see you!" I throw my arms around her as she comes through the doorway, smelling slightly of chlorine and shampoo. "Eurgh, did you go to the pool?" I hate swimming in the community pool. It's so gross, you never know who's been there before you, and what presents they've left behind in the water. I shudder just thinking about it.

"Yes, I have, Serena," Mina rolls her eyes at me good naturedly. She knows how I feel about pools. "And I'm glad to see you, too!"

I beam at her. "Well that's good, because I have to talk to you about something." And so I tell her about what happened the previous night at the restaurant.

Mina chews on her bottom lip. "That sounds really odd. I wonder why she'd kiss him."

"I know, I was wondering the same thing! It seems way too weird for a brother and sister to act like that. But then again I'm more worried about whether he's finally going to listen to that brat Raye and stop seeing me." I make a sour face.

"Poor Serena," Mina hugs me. "You want me to make you some pancakes or something?"

I grin mischievously at her. "I already ate all your waffles this morning, but thanks for the offer!"

I dodge Mina as she tries to hit me with the embroidered cushion she had in her lap and laugh. "I'm going to clean my room."

"Serena? You, clean your room?" Mina asks in mock disbelief.

I roll my eyes. "I know, I know. It's just that I decided I was sick of sulking around, waiting for something to happen."

"Good for you, Serena!" Mina says.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I've just finished putting the last piece of clothing that was lying haphazardly across my bed, in my wardrobe. I smooth out my bedspread and survey the effect. Not bad, I think to myself. Now, I wonder when the last time I cleaned my room was...

The phone rings once. "Serena! Phone!" Mina calls from downstairs. Puzzling over who it could be, I pick up the extension in my room.

"Hello?"

"Serena?"

"Darien?" Oh, my God, what's he going to say?!

"Serena, I'm calling to say sorry again about last night." He sounds sincerely apologetic...

"Don't worry, it's not your fault at all, Raye can be really stubborn at times, and she seems to hate us. I can't figure out why."

I hear a sigh on the other end. "Look, I know you probably don't want to be seen with me in public again in case Raye catches us, but I really need to see you. I have to tell you something."

Suddenly, I'm curious as hell. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you over the phone Serena. Can we meet somewhere?"

I think about it for a second. "Why don't you come over here, Darien? That way, we won't be seen, and we can have some privacy, Mina won't bother us."

"Are you sure it's ok with her?"

"Yeah, it's fine, I'll go and tell-" I stop suddenly, having heard a click on the other end. It was so soft, but I was sure I heard it.

"Serena?"

"Yeah, I'm on the line, but I thought I heard something. Like a click." I say. "Do you have an extension?"

"Yeah, we do, but no one's home at the moment. Raye left just a little while ago."

"Are you sure, Darien?"

"Hang on, I'll go check."

I wait nervously for him to come back. I wonder what will happen if Raye catches him making plans to see me again!

"Serena? There's no one near the other phone at all."

I want to breathe a sigh of relief, but I can't, there's something holding me back. I could have sworn the click I heard was someone subtly replacing the other phone. Feeling uneasy, I say bye to Darien and put down the phone. A few minutes later, we're sitting in my room.

"I don't know where to begin." Darien looks down at his hands. I gently take one of his hands and massage it between my own. He looks so troubled that I'm worried for him.

"You know last night at the restaurant? With Raye coming in and doing all that?" He looks at me. I nod and wait for him to continue. "Well, I thought about it, and I decided that I should really tell you everything. It just seems to create a really big space between us if I start to keep secrets from you. Serena, I love you, and I want you to be a part of my life, so I want you to hear this, ok?"

"Ok." I say, my voice coming out softer and meeker than I intended.

"Well, when Raye and I were younger, our parents died in a car crash. You know that right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, soon after they died, Raye and I were sent to live with Gramps. But Gramps wasn't always there for us. He was a busy man and he had to run his temple, so sometimes he'd go to temple meetings at other temples as well, which meant that he wasn't home for a few days, sometimes even weeks at a time." Darien paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "Anyway, one of those days that he was away, there was a really heavy storm that scared both Raye and me, but Raye more than me, I suppose, because she left her room and ran to mine, crying and scared. So I let her sleep in my bed that night. Then, I- I-"

Darien stopped speaking. His hand started to shake slightly in mine, and his face was an unhealthy crimson hue. "Darien, if it's too hard for you to tell me, you don't have to."

He took a deep breath and steadied his voice. "Serena, I haven't told anyone about this, and I don't think I ever will again. But you need to hear it, just as much for me as for you, and our relationship. I need you to know why Raye is the way she is.

"It started off with me just holding her, rubbing her back, calming her down. But then, I started having indecent dreams about her, I couldn't stop thinking about her naked and what it would be like to- to- God, I can't even say it. My own sister! She was only ten years old for God's sake. I don't know why I felt like that, but I just felt so lonely all the time. After our parents died and we moved to a new school and everything, I found it so hard to make friends because it was in the middle of the semester, and I was depressed about the car accident, of course. Raye was the only one who was there for me all the time, and my twisted brain started mistaking her sisterly affection for something else.

"And Raye had started making a habit of sleeping in my bed whenever Gramps went out of town, because she was scared to sleep at the end of the corridor by herself. I told myself it was because she couldn't resist me." He let out a bitter laugh, and I could feel myself tensing from the shock of what he was telling me. I gripped his hand tighter in mine and in my mind, forced him to continue.

"So that night she came to sleep in my bed, I was naked, and thinking about her had given me an erection. So when she hugged me as usual, she felt it and she was shocked. I told her that if I put my dick in her, she would feel warm and happy and it would mean we would be the closest brother and sister in the world. Nothing could come between us. So she let me fondle her chest, touch her clit, and eventually make love to her. I went really slowly, because I didn't want to hurt her."

He suddenly turned around and gripped my shoulders. Staring into my eyes, he said, "Serena, I never wanted to hurt her. I cared about her, and I still do. I just needed someone to be close to me then. You understand me, don't you?" I nodded my head, transfixed by his slightly manic stare, not understanding anything. How could someone do that to their sister? Was Darien a monster, or just a messed up kid?

"Just a few weeks after I started doing that to her, I stopped myself, because some part of me knew it was wrong. I knew that I was doing something terribly wrong, taking away her innocence. I realised that if I really cared about her, as I told myself I did, I wouldn't do this to her. So I stopped, and Gramps never found out, and everything was fine. Or so I thought. But it never has been fine since then, of course. How could it be? I messed up my younger sister for life. Ever since she was ten, she's been obsessed with me, she wants to have that closeness between us again, she wants us to sleep together, to have a happy family, to have kids and everything! As she grew older, her fantasies developed more and more, and it got to the point where she would come up to me and beg me to make love to her. I couldn't face the fact that I had reduced my sister to this sort of a life, so I left to go to uni in England. I won a scholarship to study medicine there, and I escaped because I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't face the consequences, but now that I've returned, my past has caught up with me."

We sit there in silence. My mind reels with everything that he's just told me. I just couldn't register it, any of it. Some rational part of my brain was making links and going, "Aha! So that's why Raye is so overprotective of Darien, she doesn't want anyone to ruin the closeness that they had once." But for the most part, I'm still digesting what he has said. And I have a sour taste in my mouth.

Suddenly, we both hear a gentle thud outside. Sounds too heavy to be the neighbour's cat. I run to the open window and look out. I can't see anything, but the tree branch nearest to my window is quivering slightly, as though someone had been holding onto it moments before, only to let go and jump down.

"Darien, I think someone else might have heard also your story." I grimly say to him.

"Oh, shit. I hope Raye didn't follow me here. If she finds out I told you, she'll get so angry." He flops down on the bed, and closes his eyes. "But then again, it's about time I told someone. I feel so much lighter, like some of the load of what happened has been lifted off my shoulders. You had no idea how hard it was, pretending to be a moral person and taking care of people at the hospital, when I lost all sense of morality when I was fifteen."

"Oh, Darien, don't say that. I still think you're a wonderful person. We all make mistakes, and you were at such a young age, too. You didn't know any better, and like you said, you never meant to hurt her. You just wanted to be closer to her. Think about all those other older paedophiles who rape children for the sake of it."

"I'd rather not."

"What I mean is, Darien, you were pretty much a child, too, yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. It's all in the past now, and we need to think about what to do now. Right now, I think it would be good if both you and Raye went to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist and took it from there. Both of you have had emotional trauma that's been bottled up for ages. It's not really healthy." Woah, I have no idea where all this stuff is coming from! I barely registered what he said, and I'm already advising him? My brain must be smarter than I give it credit for!

"That's true, that actually seems like a good idea." He looks at me thoughtfully. "Thanks for listening to me, Serena, and not judging me."

I immediately feel guilty about wondering about his ethics earlier. "Hey, anytime!"

"It really means a lot to me. Do you think we can still be together after all this?"

I think about it. "Well, what you did in the past doesn't really change who you are as a person now. And it's the current you I've fallen for. And hey, we all have skeletons in our closet, who am I to judge? Just as long as you feel remorse for your wrong actions, and you're willing to fix them up, I think I have all I need in you." I smile at him.

He smiles at me and walks to me to give me a hug. "Love you, Serena."

"I love you, too." I bury my face in his top, my eyes getting misty. And it's not because of my undying love for Darien (although that definitely exists), rather it's sympathy for Raye.

******A/N:** What did you think? I know it's a little weird, but this kind of story is a story I've wanted to write for a long time. I did put in a warning at the top, so no one should review me telling me that that chapter made them feel bad because of the incest references or whatever. If you're a sensitive person, read the warnings and stick to fluffy stories!


	7. Chapter 7

**Breaking the Rules**

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**A/N:** Like I said, anonymous flamers should get a life already. No one MADE you read the goddamn story, so go do something useful like fucking yourself up the arse, alright? Don't you dare review with abuse AFTER I warned you beforehand about the themes involved being controversial. At least leave your stupid name so you don't come across as an entirely gutless, ball-less vagina-brain. I will write what I like, if you don't like it, don't read it. Simple.

Woah, sorry about that all that ranting, it's just that anonymous flamers really get under my skin! I am only writing for myself and other people who appreciate my work, let me make that clear. So this next chapter's for you faithful people who managed to review with encouragement and even constructive criticism. Before I go on, **Strawberrie**, thank you for your honest opinion, but as you can see towards the end of the last chapter, Serena isn't totally comfortable with the idea. She was crying for Raye, remember? Read this chapter, it will probably cater for your taste! And **merangelgal**, thank you.

**Chapter 7**

___"Darien, don't! Please!" Ten-year-old Raye was lying in a pool of blood on an otherwise white, pristine bed. Her eyes had a look of pure terror in them, and she grew frantic as Darien pushed himself in her further. She screamed in agony as he thrust in and out of her. Darien smiled at me, his teeth glinting brightly in the semi-darkness that enveloped their room._

_"Serena, help me! He's hurting me!" Raye called out weakly to me. She reached out to me with a bloody hand, and I screamed._

I jerk awake, finding myself hot and sweaty and tangled in my doona. My throat feels like someone had been crushing glass in it. I turn on my bedside lamp and reach for the bottle of water I always keep on my nightstand. Taking a sip, I disentangle myself from my doona, which was threatening to cut off blood circulation to my legs, and sit up, with my back propped up by the headboard.

Reviewing my disturbing dream, I realise that that probably wasn't what had really happened. If my memory served correctly, Darien had said that Raye had been as consenting as someone in her position could have been. At any rate, it wasn't completely forced. Maybe irresponsible, but he never intended to hurt her. My brain's newest coping mechanism it seemed, was sensationalising the shocking news Darien had delivered and making graphic dreams out of it. But why was that happening? Hadn't I already decided to forgive Darien and move on? I mean, it wasn't even any of my business, and it had happened so long ago, who was I to make the past into a huge deal? Plus, I should be appreciating the fact that Darien trusted in me enough to make me his confidante.

All through this rationalisation of Darien's actions, I realise that a knot had formed in my stomach and it is getting harder to breathe. I could feel the memories threatening to spill forward, activated by what Darien had told me, but with the near-effortlessness of someone who has practised for many years, I slam down the familiar mental block. I didn't need my own troubled past confusing this situation any further.

I knew that I had to pull myself together and deal with Darien's past. Either accept him for who he was (and that meant accepting his past as well) or reject him and move on. Deep in my heart, I knew that I couldn't reject him, not after I had essentially forgiven someone else who had made similar mistakes. But I couldn't accept what he had done either, not right now. The tightness in my stomach was telling me all I needed to know.

I get out of bed and go to the kitchen to make myself a pickle sandwich. I know it sounds weird, but it's the best remedy for insomnia. Or at least, it works for me! After finishing the sandwich, I sit at the kitchen table, my chin propped up by my hands, letting my mind wander. Was what Darien did ok? He was young and didn't know better, I suppose. But then again, he could've been sent to a juvenile court and convicted for that sort of thing. However, Raye wasn't completely in the right either, I mean, she had come on to him hadn't she? On the other hand, how could anyone interpret a ten-year-old's actions as coquettish? It was all so confusing...

_The little girl is skipping towards the swings, smiling and humming a nursery rhyme. She's happy because her whole family and extended family are on a picnic at the park and she can play all day. Her uncle offers to push her swing and she agrees. She likes being pushed into the air, higher and higher, till she feels like she's flying._

"_Higher, Uncle Rob!" she screams, "Higher! Push me faster!" she giggles as her uncle makes a 'vroom' noise as he pushes her._

_All too soon, her swing comes to a halt. "Uncle Rob, you didn't push me, my swing's stopped." She pouts._

"_Hey little lady, I know a place where the swings go even higher than this."_

"_Really?" Her eyes widen with pleasure at the prospect._

"_Really, really! Come, it's behind those bushes, I'll show you." He takes her hand and leads her away from the rest of her family. All her other relatives occupied with all the little kids running around, creating pandemonium don't notice the little girl has gone missing for a little while._

"_Put your hands on it. Come on Rena, I haven't got all day..." She does as she is told and blocks out what happens after that. The next thing she remembers is her mom approaching Uncle Rob and asking him why she was crying._

"_She fell off the swing, I'm taking her to buy her an ice cream," Uncle Rob smoothly lied. And she also remembers what he said to her later on. "You say one word of what happened to anyone and I'll break your mother's neck."_

I didn't wholly believe him because he was threatening to kill his own sister, but how could I risk not to? So the defenceless seven year old version of myself did as she was told whenever Uncle Rob took her off alone on his little "outings", until one day he was charged for distributing child pornography on the internet and sentenced to jail. My whole family was shocked by the incident but had never thought to investigate what damage he may have inflicted on the members of the family.

I had never told anyone what had happened in that dark period of her life, mainly because I was ashamed of my inability to speak out sooner. But the memories lay just below the surface of her consciousness, needing only sleep or a moment of my guard being let down for the thoughts to surface. And the thoughts were popping into my mind, vibrant with life as though I had only formulated them yesterday.

Opening my drawer, I took out the bottle of sleeping tablets I kept there for my frequent bouts of insomnia, and downed three for good measure with the help of the bottle of water sitting beside it. I could deal with my issues in the morning.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I am woken by the ringing of my phone. I reach over, grab it, open it to silence the incessant noise which is almost puncturing my eardrums, and put it to my ear. The bright sunlight of midday makes me squint as I listen for the voice on the other end.

"Hello?" Darien's rich voice fills my ear.

"Darien?"

"Yeah. Serena, I need to see you. I want to talk about what I said yesterday."

It feels as though something has caught in my throat. My mind is involuntarily cast back to the nightmare I had last night, involving Raye and Darien, and I try to shake my head to clear my thoughts. Except my head is throbbing from the lack of sleep and the slight overdose of sleeping pills. It wasn't going to be a very good morning.

"Darien, I don't think it would be a very good idea. I... I think we should take a break." There. I said it. I don't know how I suddenly mustered up the courage to do it, but I did, and let me tell you, it feels like I've made the right choice.

"But... we... Serena, you surely don't mean that."

"Yeah, I actually do. I need to think about what you told me. I still care about you, Darien, but I need some time to figure this out."

"Can I at least come over to talk to you while you figure it out?"

"Um..." I hear a noise near the entrance of my room. I step over to the door to see if it is Mina, but I can't see anyone. "Darien, I'll call you right back, ok?" Hanging up the phone, I walk out to investigate. Suddenly, a hand grabs me from behind and shoves a handkerchief in my face. Strong chemical fumes rise from it and weld themselves to the insides of my nostrils. Before I can see who my assailant is, the world goes black.


	8. Chapter 8

**Breaking the Rules**

**By MaryMagdalene912**

**Disclaimer: **You all know that these characters don't belong to me, right? Well, I'm just reminding you of that unfortunate fact. But, on the other hand, if anyone steals my plotline, they can count on having their guts ripped out to make a necklace for me as soon as I find out. Thank you (:

**A/N:** Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing, and your support and constructive criticism :) Means a lot to me.

Thank you, especially, **merangelgal**, I'm glad you feel that way.

**Anonymosity**, you are quite right in questioning Darien's actions, but can I just point out here, that you are wrong when you imply Darien is a fully-fledged, evil paedophile. He is someone who made a mistake, unfortunately the mistake was of a different nature to the usual pedestrian shoplifting or whatever that fifteen-year-olds do. You forget that he, too, was under the age of consent, so if we were to approach it in a legal manner, he wouldn't have been tried in an adult's court (at least, not where I live).

I was under the impression that a paedophile is someone who takes advantage of someone who is younger than themselves, but when they themselves are over the legal age limit. Darien does not fit the profile completely on both counts: Raye approaches him, which must count for something from Serena's point of view, I mean, he didn't throw her on the bed and rape her while she cried for mercy, did he? And secondly, even taking into consideration what you said about fifteen being a mature age, I still feel it is an age where people's identities and beliefs are only just developing and they may be vulnerable in many ways. Perhaps it was this vulnerability and a desire not to be alone that led to Darien's actions?

Having said all that, I do not claim Darien was right in what he did. In fact, Serena herself questions his actions later on. The part which you have copied and pasted in the review, and in other parts of that chapter, Serena is forcing herself to see the 'sense' in the situation because she is in shock, and more importantly, in love with Darien. But as I said, she questions his actions, especially when they remind her of something she has tried so hard to block out. E.g. "I nodded my head, transfixed by his slightly manic stare, not understanding anything. How could someone do that to their sister? Was Darien a monster, or just a messed up kid?" and "I bury my face in his top, my eyes getting misty. And it's not because of my undying love for Darien (although that definitely exists), rather it's sympathy for Raye." Sorry if that was not clearly defined in the story.

I hope I have answered your questions. And may I ask, what is the meaning of this: "Judging by your responses to earlier criticisms of this fic, I have high hopes but low expectations." I don't really respond well to one- or two-liner insults of my writing, if you're referring to the anonymous flame from before. Had the earlier criticism been worded in a sophisticated manner like this one, I probably would have taken the time to explain my reasoning.

And I like your musings, **Serena530** :P

On with the fic! I tried to give you guys an extra long chapter to make up for my disinterest in updating sooner! :)

**Chapter 8**

__Darien stares at his mobile, the monotone of the 'beep... beep...' from the disconnected phone call ringing in his ears. Nonplussed, he shrugs to himself, and turns up the volume of the ringer so that he doesn't miss Serena's call when she calls back, and replaces the phone in his pocket. There's a feeling of unease, lodged like a lump of coal just under heart. What was so important that she had to hang up on him so abruptly, sounding curious and slightly scared? He feels he should go over there to investigate.

"Raye! I'm going over to Andrew's for a while." He calls out. Ever since Raye got suspicious of him and Serena and even resorted to following him on a date once, he has decided he is going to sometimes dress up the truth to placate her. Usually Raye came out to investigate his claims and ask him at least five questions in quick succession so that he would 'reveal' himself. But he had managed to stay true to his lies.

"Raye?" There is no answer. Puzzled, Darien strides to her room to see if she was alright. He pushes open her door and takes in the mess of clothes spilling out of her wardrobe and the shoes strewn all over the floor. She must have left somewhere in a rush. That was funny, he hadn't heard her leave. He is just about the close the door, when he sees an open box on the floor. Curiosity getting the better of him, he peers in.

Inside he finds a few rolls of duct tape, some heavy duty rope and blades of different kinds. Sickened, he closes half empty box. His eyes focus on the label on top of the box. There, in Raye's handwriting, it says 'Raye's Revenge Kit' in childish print, red ink. She must have been putting stuff in this box ever since she was a little kid, he thinks to himself.

His stomach suddenly lurches. "Serena." He lets out a strangled moan, and runs out the door.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I awake to the feeling of someone tying my right foot tightly to the leg of a kitchen chair. "There, all done. Let's see how she likes it when she wakes up."

My blurry vision shifts slowly and I see Raye sitting back on her haunches at my feet, admiring her handiwork. What the hell has she done to me? I notice for the first time, my hands are tight so tied behind the chair that it hurts my shoulders just to sit there. I try calling out to get her to loosen my arms, but all I can hear is a muffled "Ngggg!" coming from nearby. It takes me a few seconds to realise that the pathetic sound is coming from me, and Raye has gagged me.

"Ah, good, you're awake. I was wondering how long it would take you to come around, slut." Raye regards me with an icy stare. Her eyes are so black with jealousy, rage and a strange anticipation, that I can't even see myself reflected in them.

"Now, I'm looking forward to having a little fun with you here, as Mina won't be back for a while." She smiles mirthlessly, sending a bolt of chilled ice to my stomach. "You didn't think I was going to let you get away with stealing my Darien from me, did you?"

"Mmm! Nggg, nnnng!" I try to explain that stealing him wasn't my intention, and he's her brother for God's sake so how could I steal him? I need to explain to her the difference between what a relationship between her and her brother should be like, and how it's not the same as one between her and a boyfriend. I have to tell her Darien and I are on a break before it's too late, before she ends up hurting herself or anyone else. Not for the first time, I feel sorry for Raye, who's been through a lot with Darien, but I also know she is going to be livid when someone explains to her she can't have Darien, that it's not proper.

"Uh-uh! No more noise from you, you little bitch, or someone might hear you. And don't you want to save your screaming for later?" She smiles again, a hollow mockery of a real smile. She steps away from the kitchen table and I feel like I'm suffocating. It's too late, I'm going to die. Behind her is a wide assortment of knives, blades, nails and more. A smorgasbord of torture devices.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh crap." Darien stands in front of his carport, surveying the damage. His beloved Merc has its convertible roof slashed, along with all four of the tyres. He knows who has done this, but can't waste any time getting angry over her. He runs to the nearest main road to hail a taxi. Finally pushing in front a woman with a lot of shopping on the ground next to her, and avoiding her death glare, he gets into the taxi and tells the taxi driver Serena's address.

"Um, I'm not really sure where that is. In fact, I'm kind of new to the area, and I was just about to call my boss for directions to the depot when you hailed me, sir."

Darien rolls his eyes. Just his luck. "Look, I'll give you however much you want, and it's only a short while away. I'll give you directions. Please, do this for me, my girlfriend is in trouble and I have to get to her."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You know, Serena, I wish I could say that I knew from the start that you were going to steal the only person who mattered the most to me in my life, but I didn't. I thought you were a really good friend to me, fun to be with and good to talk to. Perhaps somewhat annoying at times, but you were pretty nice." She regards me thoughtfully, tapping the knife she has picked up softly against her cheek. Sunlight from the kitchen window glints off the knife, making it appear more menacing. I'm shaking with terror in my chair, praying for a miracle.

"Maybe that's why this hurts so much? I mean, I never did anything to you. Why did you have to steal my brother?" She grits her teeth and me, and I feel a fresh batch of warm tears spill onto my cheeks. I'm so scared, I'd give anything to take back everything that has happened with Darien. I've come to realise that he's not the guy I thought he was, and this wasn't worth it. Not in the least.

"Where should we start, Serena dearest, hmm?" She kneels before me, crooning softly to me as though I was a child she was trying to quieten. The calm cruelty I see in her eyes chills me to the bone more than any of the torture devices on the table. I can't help but wonder if Darien had played a big part in turning Raye into such a possessive, terrifyingly violent person. "How about your legs? Everyone's always saying how long and beautiful they are, how about if I cut them off? Slowly hack away at them, until you're reduced to a quivering mess? Then Darien won't find you so attractive, will he?"

I shake my head, tears flicking onto Raye's face with my vehement movements. "Please," I try to say, "Please don't hurt me. You can have him to yourself." But all that comes out is a useless bunch of non-comprehendible grunts.

"Or would it be better if I cut off your arms, then you wouldn't be able to put your dirty paws on my Darien again?" She stops for a moment. "Oops! Nearly forgot something..." She turns to my kitchen cupboards and opens one to take out a shallow wineglass with a pretty stem. Holding it to the crook of my elbow, she cuts open the flesh and collects the blood in the wine glass. I stare at her in shock, feeling the pain of the cut, but unable to respond to it. What the hell is she doing?

Satisfied that she has enough blood in the glass, she places it squarely in the centre of the dining table and meets my incredulous look. "That's so I can drink to your destruction once I'm done with you." She smiles once again, making me shiver. If that's only the beginning, what else does she have in store for me?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

As the taxi screeches to a halt in front of Serena's house, Darien jumps out, throwing a fifty dollar bill on his seat.

"But sir, it's only - "

"Keep the change!" Darien roars and makes a beeline for the front door. He notices Raye's bike chained to the railing that goes all the way around the front of the building.

The taxi driver smiles to himself, feeling quite content that he has been paid almost five times the amount he should have.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Raye has just finished marking dotted lines around my thighs with the precision of a plastic surgeon, to indicate how much she is going to cut off, when Darien bursts in. I could have peed my pants in relief.

"What are you doing here?" Raye hisses venomously.

Darien looks at me. I desperately give him a warning look. He cannot act like I'm more important to him than she is, otherwise she'll kill us all.

"I.. I-uh I came to tell you that Serena and I have broken up," he says, his voice shaking slightly as he surveys the unholy spread on the dining table.

Raye looks at him scornfully, but her resolve seems to be wavering. "Really? So you didn't come to save Serena and put me in jail so you two could live happily ever after?"

"Well, I didn't know Serena was going to need saving. But Raye, I really mean it, I want to take care of you. And I can't do that if we're constantly fighting about Serena, can we?" He looks to me for approval, and I nod warily. I don't know if she's going to buy it.

But she runs over to him and throws her arms around his neck, smothering him with kisses. Finally she places one long lingering kiss on his lips and steps back, her face shining with happiness. The transformation is amazing, it couldn't have been more complete. "Oh Darien, do you really mean that?"

"Yes, I do, Raye. I intend to look after you, and do whatever it takes to make up for what happened... earlier. But we need to sort out a few things."

Her eyes immediately cloud over. "Like what?" She growls.

"Like the fact that we both need to admit that we have issues. And I'd like us to go to counselling together, maybe even see a psychiatrist. I think it's for the best." He sighs.

"And in return, you'll give up Serena?" She asks, her voice sounding hopeful and slightly childish.

"Well, it was her idea that we go on a break, so I don't think I'll be seeing her again any time soon." He runs his hands through his hair and looks at me, the hurt in his eyes only thinly veiled. I try to say something to him, but the gag once again restrains me.

Raye walks up to me slowly, and I cower away from her. I'm really not getting used to this weird, temperamental Raye. "I'm not going to hurt you," she says softly. The unsaid 'anymore' at the end of her sentence lingers in the air. She slowly unties the gag.

"Thank you," I gasp, moving my mouth around, to try and get it out of the unnatural shape it was in previously. She works away at the ropes as well and stands back once they're cut off. I jump out of the chair and rush to the other side of the kitchen to be as far away from Raye as possible.

"Serena..?" Raye looks at me.

"It's ok, Raye, he's right. I did decide it would be good if we didn't see each other for a while now, it's just a little tense with everything else that's going on. And Darien," I switch my gaze to him, softening it slightly. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, it wasn't my intention. I still care about you – both of you," I hasten to add the last part when I feel Raye bristling at the display of affection. "And I don't want to hurt either of you. I think what Darien said is right, you should both see a psychologist or something, because this is way out of my depth."

I take a shaky breath and catch a glimpse of the wine glass with my blood in it, still sitting calmly on the table. I think we're going to have to get a new dining table, I'll never be able to eat there again. Feeling sickened, I look at both of them, standing there, not knowing how to act. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to lie down. I feel light-headed from all that." I say, gesturing to the table. I catch sight of Darien's eyes widening as he sees the wine glass with the deep red liquid in it.

"Serena, wait!" Darien calls out to me, and I stop in my tracks.

"Raye, can you go and wait outside for me, I need to say goodbye to Serena." Raye looks at him suspiciously.

"I promise nothing out of the ordinary will happen. Come on, Raye, if you're going to let me look after you and help build our relationship back up from the ground again, I need you to trust me."

Finally Raye nods meekly, and heads off outside. There is almost an air of excitement about her, as though she can't believe she's finally getting what she wanted all along.

When Raye is out of earshot, Darien approaches me. "Serena, I'm sorry for all this," he says heavily.

"Yeah, well, not all of it was your fault." I raise my eyebrows.

"If you're referring to Raye being such a psycho, it's probably my fault too." Seeing the surprise in my eyes, he adds, "Yeah, I've thought about the consequences of what I did, too. I have to live with myself everyday."

"Look Darien, I think what's important now is that you two get the help you need." I say.

"We will, but just tell me you forgive me for dragging you into this mess and putting you in danger." His gaze holds mine, begging for compassion. "From the day that I met you, I've been attracted to you." He traces my eyes, nose and lips with his finger. My eyes almost slip shut. He has magic fingers, this guy. "And not just your looks, either."

"Darien, I forgive you, but you didn't drag me kicking and screaming into this 'mess'. If I remember correctly, I willingly agreed to go out with you." I lead him to the door. "Just take care of yourself, okay? And try to explain everything to Raye, and why what she wants is not right. You're the only person she'll listen to."

"Goodbye, Serena." I watch as he meets up with Raye, and they walk off, wheeling the bike between them. Then I go to my room, shut the door, and fall into an exhausted sleep.

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

"Serena, you've got a letter!" Mina walks by with the mail in her hands and drops a letter into my lap. After looking at the small insignia in the corner with 'Kairus Rehabilitation Centre' written on it, I flip the envelope over. No return address. Odd. I didn't think I knew anyone in rehab. I open the letter.

_Dear Serena,_

_I'm sorry I didn't write earlier. Raye and I have been very busy undergoing post-trauma therapy, counselling and just generally doing bonding activities. I guess this decision was for the best, because things are certainly looking up for Raye. She's lost that haunted look she's been wearing for ages, and I, too, feel as though a great weight has been lifted off my chest._

_We are nowhere near done here, because they have recommended that we undertake long-term counselling due to the fact that Raye's possessiveness hasn't left her completely and that sort of thing. But we're working on it together, and we're hopeful. She's made some advancements like you wouldn't believe!_

_The reason I'm writing is to see whether you and Mina would like to come up to visit us sometime. We've got the most breathtaking views here, and it would be nice to see some familiar faces again. (Although Raye and I have become quite friendly with some of the other long-term residents here!) I've also included directions on how to get here, because it's a fair way away from where you guys live._

_Having said that, if you do visit, I also want to remind you to take things slowly. Raye has indeed lost her violent streak while being here, but I'm unsure of how she's react to seeing you again. However, our counsellor did also recommend the visit, a while back._

_Let me know what you think._

_I'm still thinking of you,_

_Darien_

I sit back on the couch and let my mind wander. Am I ready to start a relationship with Darien again? Have I forgiven him for what he's done? Well, though I can't certainly forget about his past, I find myself thinking about how much I should let his past affect our future together. That, and I thought it was extremely sweet of him to take Raye into his care and get professional help for both of them. Paying them a visit couldn't hurt, could it?

"Mina!" I call. "What do you think of going on a long road trip with me?"

**A/N:** That's the end, guys! Let me know what you thought of the ending. Was it too rushed, did it come soon enough, was it what you expected? I value all your reviews! Sorry if it was shorter than you expected, as with my other story, I kind of started this one without a clear plan of where it was going right from the beginning, but now that the event unravelled the way they did, I felt this was the logical conclusion.


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